Department of Health and Social Care

Covid-19 Update

Lord Kamall: My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Vaccines and Public Health) (Maggie Throup) has made the following Written Statement: The Government accepted the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on 16 February that 5 to 11 year-olds should be offered 2 paediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccinations have been offered to this age group from 4 April. A minimum interval of 12 weeks between doses is required, except for those in a clinical risk group or a household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed where the minimum interval is 8 weeks. This is a non-urgent offer. As part of our commitment to open up travel, on 28 April the Government is launching the NHS COVID Pass letter service for children aged 5 to11 year-olds who have received a full primary course of COVID-19 vaccination. There is a limited emerging international use-case for children in this age cohort to show their COVID-19 status for travel abroad, although other methods such as testing or entering with a parent or guardian with recognised COVID-19 status are available in those countries. Access to the NHS COVID Pass will save families with children in this cohort the cost of testing otherwise required for travel and ensure that young children are able to provide proof of their COVID-19 status on par with the rest of the population. A person with parental responsibility for the child (such as the parent or guardian) will be able to request the letter online via the NHS website or by calling 119. The letter will only be sent to the address on the child’s GP record. This service will be available for children aged 5 to 11 resident in England, Wales and the Isle of Man. In Northern Ireland, parents or guardians of children aged 5 to 11 years can request a digital or printed Covid certificate on behalf of a dependant. In Scotland, a paper copy of the vaccination status of children aged 5 and over is available by calling the COVID Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Situation

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis remains severe. This is despite the massive response mounted since August 2021 preventing the UN and aid agencies’ worst fears from being realised over the winter. Afghanistan faces acute hunger, over 6 million have been internally displaced and millions of children are out of school. The UK continues to be at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan. It remains a priority for the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Ministers of State.We have delivered on the Prime Minister’s commitment to double assistance for Afghanistan in 2021/2022, delivering humanitarian assistance to over 6.1 million people. Working with aid agencies, we disbursed £286 million including £17 million for support to Afghan refugees in the region. A full breakdown appears in the annexes attached. All our humanitarian assistance is going to UN agencies and other experienced international partners.On 11 January 2022, the UN launched an appeal for $4.4 billion for 2022, the largest humanitarian appeal on record, reflecting the magnitude of the humanitarian challenge ahead. The UK was at the forefront in responding to this and on 31 March, alongside Qatar, Germany, and the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs the UK co-hosted the 2022 Afghanistan Pledging Conference where $2.4 billion was pledged.On 30 March, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK pledge of £286 million for 2022/2023, the second highest commitment to the Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan to date. This commitment reflects the UK’s enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan.HMG officials continue to press the Taliban to respond to international concerns, including the protection of human rights, and especially the rights of women and girls. We regularly make clear to the Taliban that the provision of humanitarian assistance requires, among other things, a lack of interference with humanitarian operations, unconditional access for female aid workers, and the full access of women and girls to services.We have also worked with the World Bank, United Nations, and the United States of America to find solutions which will allow international NGOs to access currency in Afghanistan. In January we successfully worked with the Asian Development Bank to make $405 million available and on 1 March the World Bank Board agreed to make the remaining $1 billion in the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund available for health, education, livelihoods, and food security.The UK also played a key role in pressing for a resolution establishing a humanitarian exception under the UN Afghanistan sanctions regime. In line with UN Security Council 2615 the UK has passed legislation to provide an exception from the assets freeze against listed members of the Taliban solely for the provision of humanitarian assistance and other activities to support basic needs. This will save lives and reduce the impediments faced by humanitarian agencies in reaching those most in need.On 17 March, the UK supported a UNSC resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). This provided UNAMA with a robust and flexible mandate to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, engagement with the Taliban, human rights monitoring and reporting, and a strengthened focus on gender mainstreaming throughout UN activities.In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, we are also looking to the medium and longer term. The provision of basic services, such as health, education and livelihoods, remains critical to prevent a worsening of the humanitarian crisis. We continue to explore solutions for their delivery and support payment of front-line delivery workers with support to any service predicated on access to that service by all.The Foreign Secretary committed to putting women and girls at the heart of the UK’s response to Afghanistan. The Taliban have imposed unacceptable restrictions on women’s ability to move around freely, to work, and to access education. Despite statements that schools would open for all students, the Taliban rescinded this commitment and announced on 23 March that all girls' schools from 6th grade upwards will remain closed until further notice. The UK, alongside international partners, have called on them to reverse this decision.There are increasing restrictions on freedom of expression including media censorship and harassment of journalists. Members of religious and ethnic minority groups and LGBT+ continue to be attacked and to suffer discrimination. We are working with aid agencies to prioritise those most at risk, including households headed by women and people with disabilities, and ensure that marginalised groups have equal, safe and dignified access to assistance and services.Ministers and officials continue to engage with a wide range of Afghans, including representatives from civil society, religious and ethnic minorities and women activists. I regularly meet with prominent Afghan women to hear their concerns and consult on the UK’s approach to Afghanistan; most recently on 24 March when he held a roundtable event with Afghan female leaders.There is regular Parliamentary engagement on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan including the recent meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Afghanistan on 21 March. I briefed Parliamentarians ahead of the UN Afghanistan Pledging Conference on 22 March.Afghanistan - Humanitarian Situation (WMS Annexes) (pdf, 636.8KB)

Provisional Statistics on International Development 2021

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable Friend, the Minister for Europe and North America (James Cleverly), has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:The Statistics on International Development: Provisional UK Aid Spend 2021 was published on 12 April. This set out that the UK spent almost £11.5 billion on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2021, representing 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI).In November 2020, my Rt Hon Friend the former Foreign Secretary confirmed to the House that the UK would temporarily reduce the aid budget from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%, as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the UK’s economy. The Government intends to return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA as soon as the fiscal situation allows: when on a sustainable basis the government is not borrowing for day-to-day spending and underlying debt is falling. On 13 July 2021, the Government gave Members of Parliament the opportunity to debate its proposed course of action and a pathway back to 0.7%. The House voted clearly to approve the approach set out in the Treasury’s Written Ministerial Statement.The publication of the report is the first official release confirming the UK has not met the target of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA as required by the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015. That Act requires the Secretary of State to lay a statement before Parliament if the 0.7% target is not met explaining why it has not been met, as soon as reasonably practicable after laying the FCDO’s Annual Report and Accounts (see section 2(1) and 2(3) of the 2015 Act).The FCDO’s Annual Report and Accounts will be laid before the summer recess.

Home Office

Report of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on the operation in 2020 of the Terrorism Acts

Baroness Williams of Trafford: My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, has prepared a report on the operation in 2020 of the Terrorism Acts. In accordance with section 36(5) of the Terrorism Act 2006, I am today laying this report before the House and copies will be available in the Vote Office. The report will also be published on GOV.UK. I am grateful to Mr Hall QC for his report. I will carefully consider its contents and the recommendations he makes and will respond formally in due course.

Cabinet Office

GOV.UK Verify Sign up contract extension

Lord True: My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Secretary (Mrs Heather Wheeler MP) has today made the following statement:I would like to update the House on the GOV.UK Verify programme, following the Written Ministerial Statement in April 2021 made by my colleague (the Minister of State for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez MP). As confirmed in the most recent Spending Review, under the One Login for Government programme, the government is building a single way for citizens to prove their identity and access central government services online.While this new product is being developed, we are continuing to support the connected services which rely on GOV.UK Verify. As such, we have extended the period in which new users of these services will be able to set up an account until December 2022. Users with an existing account for connected services will be able to continue to use GOV.UK Verify until it closes in April 2023.

Brexit Opportunities

Lord True: My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency (the Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP) has today made the following statement:When the UK left the European Union (EU), we regained the right to manage our own borders in a way that works for Britain. This includes how we manage imports into our country from overseas. British businesses and people going about their daily lives are being hit by rising costs caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and in energy prices. It would therefore be wrong to impose new administrative burdens and risk disruption at ports and to supply chains at this point. The remaining import controls on EU goods will no longer be introduced this year - saving British businesses up to £1 billion in annual costs.Instead the Government is accelerating our transformative programme to digitise Britain’s borders, harnessing new technologies and data to reduce friction and costs for businesses and consumers. This is a new approach for a new era, as Britain maximises the benefits of leaving the EU and puts in place the right policies for our trade with the whole world.Introducing controls in July would have replicated the controls that the EU applies to their global trade. This would have introduced complex and costly checks that would have then been altered later as our transformation programme is delivered. The challenges that this country faces has underlined that this is not the right thing to do for Britain.No further import controls on EU goods will be introduced this year. Businesses can stop their preparations for July now. We will publish a Target Operating Model in the Autumn that will set out our new regime of border import controls and will target the end of 2023 as the revised introduction date for our controls regime, which will deliver on our promise to create the world’s best border on our shores.This new approach will apply equally to goods from the EU and goods from the rest of the world. It will be based on a proper assessment of risk, with a proportionate, risk-based and technologically advanced approach to controls. This includes the Single Trade Window which will start to deliver from 2023, the creation of an Ecosystem of Trust between government and industry, and other transformational projects as part of our 2025 Borders Strategy.The controls that have already been introduced will remain in place.Specifically, the following controls which were planned for introduction from July 2022 will now not be introduced:A requirement for further Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks on EU imports currently at destination to be moved to Border Control Post (BCP).A requirement for safety and security declarations on EU imports.A requirement for further health certification and SPS checks for EU imports.Prohibitions and restrictions on the import of chilled meats from the EU.The Border Operating Model will be updated to reflect this and a copy will be placed in the libraries of both Houses in due course.

Department for International Trade

Switzerland Trade Policy Update

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The Prime Minister and President Cassis of Switzerland held a meeting this morning, during which they discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship and boosting trade and investment ties. Following this, the call for input on an enhanced trade agreement with Switzerland has now been launched.The UK is committed to our trade and investment relationship with Switzerland, our 10th largest trade partner with bilateral trade worth nearly £35 billion a year. The UK’s current trading relationship is based on the 1972 EU-Switzerland agreement, rolled over on 1 January 2021. While this includes many provisions on trade in goods, intellectual property and government procurement, it crucially does not contain any agreements for services or digital trade, which account for half of our economic relationship with Switzerland and is a key reality of the global economy in the 21st Century.As two services powerhouses, negotiations for a bespoke UK-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement are a significant opportunity to build on our current trade agreement and negotiate an ambitious, unprecedented deal that will accelerate the growth of our already significant trading relationship, creating economic growth and supporting jobs in both countries.The call for input will provide businesses, public sector bodies, individuals, and other interested stakeholders with the opportunity to give valuable feedback and highlight their priorities for a closer trading relationship with Switzerland.The feedback received from stakeholders will be crucial when shaping our mandate, and will inform detailed negotiations preparation, and policy positions. The Department for International Trade is committed to ensuring future trade agreements and their provisions are informed by stakeholder needs and shaped by the demands of the British economy.The launch of the call for input is a key step in our joint ambition to renegotiate a high quality and ambitious trade agreement, focused on creating even greater opportunities for UK businesses. Our trade with Switzerland has increased almost three-fold over the last 20 years, with service exports rising from £2.4 billion in 2000 to £12.2 billion in 2020. These new negotiations will allow us to increase this even further, while leveraging our respective strengths in talent and innovation to agree cutting edge digital provisions.The UK and its partners in Switzerland share a desire to develop closer ties. While a timescale for negotiations will be confirmed and set out in due course following consultation with Swiss counterparts, the call for input will seek to support the goal of greater economic prosperity for businesses and will ensure that their needs are heard. The Government is committed to transparency and will ensure that Parliament, the Devolved Administrations, UK citizens and businesses have access to information on our trade negotiations.The call for input can be accessed using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with-switzerland-call-for-input

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadcasting Update

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: I am repeating the following Written Ministerial Statement made today in the other place by my Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries MP:Our TV and radio industry is the envy of the world. Production studios across the country are booming, and British-made shows like ‘I May Destroy You’ and the ‘Great British Bake Off’ are celebrated all over the globe.Our public service broadcasters (PSBs) are absolutely central to that success. Sitting at the heart of our broadcasting system, they help to develop skills and talent across the country; they drive growth right across the creative industries; and they deliver distinctive, instantly-recognisable British content that you would not find anywhere else.But broadcasting has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The last time broadcasting regulation was overhauled, in 2003, Netflix was a DVD rental business. Today, it is one of several American streaming giants offering viewers a daily selection of new content – from Amazon Prime to Disney+ to Hulu to Apple TV and beyond.Viewers increasingly watch programmes on their laptops, phones or smart TVs, choosing what to watch, and when to watch it.In this new broadcasting world, the competition for audience share is fiercer than ever. In recent years, as streaming services have enjoyed a 19 percent rise in subscribers, the share of total viewers for ‘linear’ TV channels like the BBC and ITV has fallen by more than 20 percent.The Government is focused on ensuring British broadcasters can not only hold their own in this fight, but also flourish in projecting the best of British across the world.Today, I am therefore publishing a White Paper that proposes major reforms to the sector that will update our analogue rules, and enable our broadcasters to thrive in the streaming age.The White Paper contains a number of key proposals.First, we want to ensure that in a world of smart TVs and online platforms, our PSBs continue to receive the exposure they deserve.On a traditional TV, our PSBs are given “prominence”: they hold exclusive rights to the first five channels on every television set in the UK.We plan to update those rules for the digital age, by passing legislation that will ensure public service content is always carried and easy-to-find on all major platforms – including on smart TVs and fire sticks.Secondly, while the UK boasts a vibrant and diverse broadcasting system, we need to ensure consumers are protected in this fast changing landscape.We are therefore proposing a new Video-on-Demand Code that will hold streaming services to similar standards as traditional broadcasters like the BBC and ITV – particularly when it comes to protecting audiences from harmful material.We also plan to overhaul and simplify the complicated public service remit so that our PSBs can focus on the things they do best – such as creating distinctively British programmes and providing impartial and accurate news.We are also proposing reforms to the listed events regime, so that PSBs have exclusive rights to bid first for the crown jewels of the sporting calendar – including the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon.Finally, over the past year we have been carefully considering the future of one broadcaster in particular: Channel 4.Channel 4 is a key part of our national, economic and cultural life. Since the broadcaster was established in the early 1980s, it has more than fulfilled the original aim for setting it up – shaking up the TV schedules with original, disruptive programming and boosting our independent production sector.In the last few decades, the independent production sector has grown six-fold – from a £500 million industry in 1995 to £3 billion in 2019.But the broadcasting world around Channel 4 has changed immeasurably during that same period.Like every other broadcaster, it now faces huge competition for audience share – and many of its competitors have incredibly deep pockets.Streamers such as Amazon Prime spent £779 million on UK original productions in 2020 – more than twice as much as Channel 4.In addition, Channel 4 faces a series of unique challenges. Challenges that other public service broadcasters with different ownership models do not face.While other PSBs such as the BBC and Channel 5 have the freedom to make and sell their own content, Channel 4 has no in-house production studio and its ownership model restricts it from borrowing money or raising private sector capital.It is left almost entirely reliant on advertising revenues. Those revenues were already shifting rapidly online. As seen last week, the competition is only set to heat up now that Netflix has confirmed it intends to enter the advertising market.It is our view that, under its current form of ownership, Channel 4’s options to grow are currently restricted; with fewer options to invest and compete. Those are serious challenges, and anyone who chooses to dismiss them is burying their head in the sand.As a responsible government, we are prepared to acknowledge those challenges head on, and do what is needed to protect one of our most important broadcasters not just today, but in the years to come.The Government therefore believes it is time to unleash Channel 4’s full potential, and open the broadcaster up to private ownership – while, crucially, protecting its public service broadcasting remit.The sale of Channel 4 will not just benefit the broadcaster. Channel 4 was originally established to help boost independent production and it has been successful in that mission – so successful in fact, that we face a new and very positive challenge: production studios across the country are booming. They are so in-demand, in fact, that we need more and more people to work in them. I therefore intend to funnel some of the proceeds of the sale of Channel 4 into addressing that new challenge, and giving people up and down the UK the skills and opportunity to fill those jobs – delivering a creative dividend for all.I want Channel 4’s next chapter to be one in which it goes above and beyond what it has already done regionally, and plays a starring role in levelling up our creative industries.But the sale of Channel 4 is just one part of a major piece of broadcasting reform. As set out in the White Paper I am publishing today, it is a reflection of the transformation that broadcasting has undergone in the last few years – and the need to make sure that our PSBs can keep pace with those changes.Our TV and radio industry is already the envy of the world. Today, we are giving British broadcasters the backing and support they need to rule the airwaves for years to come.In connection with the above, my department has made the following documents available on GOV.UK:Up Next: The Government’s vision for the broadcasting sectorDecision rationale and sale impact analysis for a change of ownership of Channel 4Government response to the consultation on a potential change of ownership of Channel 4 Television CorporationGovernment response to the consultation on audience protection standards on video-on-demand servicesGovernment response to the Digital Radio and Audio Review I will also deposit copies of these documents in the Libraries of both Houses.

Evaluation of the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Covid-19 Emergency Funding Package

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: I am repeating the following Written Ministerial Statement made today in the other place by my Honourable Friend, the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, Nigel Huddleston MP:The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today published a report evaluating the impact and delivery of the £750 million of government funding to support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report can also be found online.This emergency COVID-19 funding package aimed to ensure that the VCSE sector could continue its vital work supporting the country during the coronavirus outbreak, including meeting increased and changing demand due to the pandemic. The package was one of several delivered by DCMS to support sectors through the pandemic, including the Culture Recovery Fund and Sport Survival Package, which have been assessed separately with evaluations to be published in due course.This funding was disseminated to organisations via various funding streams such as the Big Night In, the Community Match Challenge and the Winter Loneliness Fund. These in turn awarded grants to over 14,000 organisations delivering a myriad of activities including encouraging social connection and tackling loneliness (59%); providing information and advice (44%) and supporting people’s mental health (38%).The grants reached an estimated 21.5 million service users. Common positive outcomes achieved for people and communities included: improved mental health and wellbeing (70%); more opportunity for social contact (62%); and reduced experiences of loneliness (58%).The evaluation found “strong evidence” that the funding package had achieved its aims. Nearly all grantholders (97%) that used funding to cover core costs reported that the funding had helped their financial health during the pandemic, with nearly half (46%) saying it had helped a great deal. Without the funding 13% of grantholders said they would have had to close or stop services (with the funding, this only happened in 1% of cases).The funding allowed around 40% of grantholders to maintain or recruit new volunteers, with some 12,000 new volunteers being mobilised, just from those organisations who completed the survey. This had positive outcomes on volunteers themselves, with 93% reporting more than one positive outcome from volunteering, and 63% saying that they would be certain to continue.The majority of grantholders (76%) also reported that they found the process of applying for grants to be ‘straightforward and proportionate’. They found the flexibility to use the money for core costs beneficial given the uncertainty of the pandemic.The report also outlines eight recommendations based on the lessons learnt from this funding package which the Government will carefully consider.